I stared at the guards standing outside the cell with a mixture of suspicion and resignation: suspicion because the guards being here didn’t make logical sense, and resignation because it actually did, all things considered.
When the heltharvis captured me the second time, she’d said that the others were being taken to the ritual room the same as me. I didn’t blame her, as that would be a smart move on her part. After all, without spirits, Bregg was the only one of the three that presented any real danger. Aeld and Fifa without their spirits and the orbs that let them draw power from their valskab were essentially helpless, especially if all the spirits around them were controlled by the valskab. Of course, even smarter would have been to put them all through the Ritual of Chaining; even Bregg probably wouldn’t have been much of a threat after that, seeing what it had done to the rashi.
My resisting her severing ritual and tossing the spell back in her face would have prevented that from happening right away, I imagined. She probably needed some time to recover before she could cast any spells again without risking the backlash being worse. She also wanted to upgrade her ritual so that I couldn’t resist it again, obviously, which would take some time. That meant that the others wouldn’t have been subjected to it right away. Still, I’d spent over two hours creeping through the tunnels, avoiding patrols, and visiting the crystal chamber and remains of the rashi. That was more than enough time for the heltharvis to upgrade her ritual, recover from the backlash, and use it on all three of the Menskies, or even use the Ritual of Chaining to completely depower all three.
That was the smart play for her since it would deny me their assistance in escaping this place, which I thought was the one thing that she really worried about. She needed the spirit of Lerlauga that I carried, and without it, she might miss the window for her ritual. She might hope that my own mission would keep me from fleeing, but she didn’t seem like the kind of person who relied on hope. She’d want to be sure, and that meant not only denying me any possible assistance but making sure that seeking it would lead to my capture. If I were her, the moment I realized my captive had escaped, I’d have brought the others to the ritual chamber, stripped them of spirits or worse, and then kept them somewhere where I could easily watch them, using them as bait under a seemingly light guard. After all, they didn’t matter, only the high spirit I’d claimed did.
Part of that had happened. The three had been moved to a single room at the end of a long hallway, and a light guard of only two warriors had been placed on them. The rooms surrounding the pair held guards as well, enough that if I simply rushed down and killed the two visible ones, I would have been in trouble.
However, it was what hadn’t happened that bothered me. I could see the mortal spirits of the guards through the walls, but I could also see the spirits of my three companions glowing down at the end of the corridor, and they all seemed intact. The heltharvis hadn’t stripped them of their spirits or subjected them to the chaining ritual; I could still see the myriad spirits swarming around all three. A glowing circle surrounded the three, but the silvery high spirit didn’t fill it, so I was pretty sure that I could breach whatever spell she’d cast to hold them. Part of me wondered if I were missing a bigger trap, one that I might have even already fallen into, but another part of me felt certain that I hadn’t.
Sadly, the way things were set up made perfect sense if looked at from another point of view, one that seemed more and more likely with every moment.
The guards surrounding me presented a minor problem, mostly because of their silent communication. I could probably kill any one of them without raising an alarm, slipping through the walls and hitting them from behind with a spear thrust to the back of the neck. The problem was that all it would take was a single mistake, and I’d be in trouble. In fact, the death of one might be enough to bring them all swarming after me if they were in constant communication and checked in with one another regularly. No doubt the circle enclosing the others was also set to sound an alarm if I tried to slip in through one of the walls. Fortunately, there was another way to reach the others.
It took me ten minutes to open a hole in the floor and drop down into the tunnel below me, but that was certainly faster than backtracking to find a path leading down would have been. The tunnel didn’t go exactly where I wanted, so I had to wander for several more minutes before I reached a spot that Sara assured me was below the cell the others were being held in. Another ten minutes passed as I created footholds in one wall, climbed up to the ceiling, and bored my way through it. Before I pierced the final inch, I activated Silent Communion and listened closely.
“…Yaki,” a male voice spoke in my mind as the ability activated. “Clear.”
“Balvina,” a woman replied. “Clear.” I quickly realized what I was hearing; the guards were checking in. If I had killed one of them, I’d have quickly been caught.
“Higlek, clear.”
“Einthor, clear.”
“All positions are clear, Heltharvis,” a man who I assumed was in charge of the guards said.
“Remain alert,” the heltharvis replied, her voice cold and imperious, different from the more conversational tone she’d used with me earlier. “I’m certain that he’ll try to free his fellow prisoners.”
“Heltharvis, forgive my impertinence,” the leader said cautiously, “but I still believe we would do better to actively seek the traitor. If he escapes Aldhyor…”
“He will not, Ustmar. I’m watching all exits from the mountain, including its slopes. He’s still in the tunnels, and he wouldn’t remain here unless he meant to free the others.”
“Couldn’t this be another ploy to draw us here, Heltharvis?”
“Yes, and I’ve planned for that.” Her voice turned annoyed as she spoke. “Simply obey my orders, as your oath demands, Ustmar. Everything is under my control.”
“As you command, Heltharvis,” the guard replied, his voice sounding cold and somewhat defeated.
“Precisely. Do as I command, and all will be well.” The woman’s voice went silent, and I paused and considered not what she said, but the confidence with which she’d said it. She seemed to feel totally in control of the situation, still, which actually boded well for me. I understood why she felt that way. Now, I just had to make sure that she was wrong.
I took a deep breath and breached the last inch of the floor, poking my head up slowly through the opening I’d created. A foot sped toward my skull, and I reacted without thought, ducking back down and lashing up to grab the foot with one hand. The kicker yanked their limb back, and I pushed as they did, adding some momentum. The leg vanished, and I dropped back down to the floor below, grabbing my spear from where I’d left it and pointing it up at the hole in the ceiling. A moment later, a familiar, angry-looking face appeared in the hole, peering down at me, and I sighed, relaxing slightly.
“Bregg,” I said, lowering my spear. “It’s just me…”
“I know, Bluthskari,” he growled.
“That means spirit-cursed betrayer of the people,” Sara supplied. “It’s a bit nastier than that, but that’s close enough.”
The hunter’s feet appeared in the hole, and I scrambled back as he dropped, landing softly on the floor below. His eyes blazed with fury as he stared at me, his hands wide and his body balanced in a gentle crouch. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, he lunged for me, darting sideways and pushing off the wall as his hands reached for me like claws. I reacted instantly, slipping to the side and shoving him aside with my spear, but he twisted with the blow and wrapped his arm around my weapon, jerking it from my startled hands.
He swore as the spear vanished from his grip. “Accursed Henguki!” he growled before moving toward me again. He lashed out with a flurry of punches and kicks that drove me backward, pushing me down the corridor. I blocked and dodged each of them, still slightly stunned that he was attacking me. As I fell back, though, my foot slipped on a patch of gravel, and one of his blows slipped past my guard and slammed into my head. I managed to duck my chin at the last moment and take the blow on the point of my forehead, but the force of it still rang my bell, and stars flashed in my vision. His foot snapped up and crashed into my stomach, knocking me backwards, and as I fell, he swarmed all over me, his right hand grabbing my throat while his left lifted high, ready to deliver the blow that would knock me unconscious—a blow that never landed.
Rage flared in me as all the frustrations and aggravations this man had caused me seemed to merge into a single white-hot flame. My legs whipped up, wrapping under his raised arm and around his neck, and I twisted my body, yanking him sideways. His expression flashed from fury to confusion as he fell to his right, and he let go of my throat in an attempt to catch himself. My hand darted up and caught his as it withdrew, though, twisting his hand and pressing it down toward his elbow. He landed badly on his shoulder and grabbed at my legs with his free hand as my legs scissored his throat, cutting off his wind. I could have ended it there, squeezing until he blacked out, but that was too easy. Instead, I let him go and rolled backward, landing on my feet. He rolled in the opposite direction and scrambled up to a crouch, his eyes still angry but reflecting a glimmer of caution. Sadly, he’d learned it too late.
I didn’t wait for him to attack again; instead, I slipped forward, snapping a kick at his leading knee and following it with a quick jab at his throat. He slipped one and blocked the other, but both strikes were feints, forcing him to shift his balance. I slammed my heel down on his instep, pinning him in place, feinted high with a fist, then brought my knee up to slam into his stomach. He lurched backward, gasping for wind, and my fist darted out and tagged his cheek. He reeled, and I kicked out his foot, sending him stumbling backward to land on his ass on the stone floor.
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He scrambled to his feet, and power suddenly surged inside of him. He seemed to grow a couple inches in height and more in girth as he drew on his spirits for greater strength and speed. I quickly used Genius Loci to confirm that his stats now exceeded mine thanks to the energy rushing through him, then dismissed it. It didn’t matter, except to know that I’d have to work harder to beat him. Either way, he was going to lose. Bregg was a hunter, maybe a soldier. I was a killer, and he was my mark.
He roared and flung himself at me, his hands and feet blurring as they sped my way, but I ducked his charge and slammed a fist into his solar plexus, activating Lunge as I did. Power rolled down my arm as the strike landed, and he doubled up as the impact drove the wind from him. He recovered instantly with an elbow that I blocked, followed by another that I stepped away from. His foot lanced toward my stomach, but I twisted sideways and slammed my fist down onto his outstretched leg. He growled and yanked the foot back, but I followed him, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks, forcing him to dodge and block them. His strength didn’t mean much if he was on the defensive, after all, and neither did his speed when it was all being used to counter me.
The fact was, Bregg didn’t stand a chance. I’d trained for this since I was a kid. I’d fought people barehanded in multiple worlds; I’d faced monsters that would give his ass nightmares. I’d ripped the heads off things he couldn’t even comprehend. And I was still there, still standing. He’d probably never fought someone of his own strength and skill level in anger in his damn life, and it showed.
My foot swept low, catching his ankle and dragging his foot sideways, and his guard dropped slightly as he tried to recover his balance. I didn’t give him the chance; instead, I ducked past him, kicking his sliding foot to destabilize him further, and came up behind him. He lashed at me with an elbow that I caught, hooking my arm over his and my other over his chest. I twisted and fell, pulling him backward and sending him to the floor on his side with me on his back. I rolled him onto his stomach and pressed my knee between his shoulder blades, slamming a fist into the back of his skull and smashing his face into the stone floor. His body went limp for a moment from the impact, and I grabbed the arm I’d pinned, straightened it, then slammed a fist into it. The arm snapped with a loud crack and bent back on itself, and Bregg howled in pain. I got off him, and he rolled onto his back, freezing as he felt the point of my resummoned spear pressed against his throat.
“Freyd.” Aeld’s voice was calm but concerned as it came from behind me, but I didn’t give the man a chance to speak.
“Shut up,” I snarled, my eyes fastened onto the hunter’s, who stared at me with a mixture of fear, hatred, and despair. “You’ve been a pain in my ass since the day we met, Bregg, and I’ve done nothing to you to deserve it. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t end your miserable life right now.”
“If you expect me to beg for my life, Bluthskari, you’re sadly mistaken,” the big man growled. “Kill me if you want, but don’t expect me to grovel or plead with you. You’re the worst kind of filth: a traitor to the people and his very blood and, and I won’t stop hunting you until one of us is dead!”
“I’d tell you that I’m not a traitor, Bregg, but I know you won’t listen,” I spat back at him. “If you did, you’d know that your precious rashi are either all dead or victims of the Ritual of Chaining. You’d know that there’s an Oikithikiim patriarch down here in Aldhyor.” Fifa gasped from behind me, and even Bregg’s eyes widened momentarily. “And you’d know that the heltharvis did all of it, from stripping the rashi of their powers to bringing the Oikithikiim here—and I know why she did it.”
“How can you know all this?” Fifa demanded, her voice closer than before. I ignored her and kept my gaze on Bregg. Sara could warn me if either of the shamans started casting a spell, and that was the only way either could hurt me.
“He lies,” Bregg growled, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve felt the heltharvis’ spirit through the valskab, Letharvisa. You know her truth. This—this outsider can’t be trusted!”
“How do you know all this, Freyd?” Aeld asked calmly. “How could you know all this?”
“I found the rashi—or the three of them that are left. They told me the story of how the heltharvis took power.” I stared at Bregg, my gaze hard. “But you won’t believe that, will you?” He simply stared at me, and I quickly lashed forward with my spear, twisting it so the haft slammed into the side of his skull. His eyes glazed, and his body relaxed into unconsciousness.
“Freyd!” Fifa hissed in alarm. I spun quickly to face the pair of letharvisa, my spear leveled at them. Both stepped back, their faces concerned.
“Freyd—Bregg,” Aeld said slowly. “Did you…?”
“He’s alive,” I said shortly.
“Thank you,” Aeld sighed, relaxing slightly.
“Don’t thank me. I haven’t decided if he’s staying that way or not.” I glanced down at the still hunter. “Or if I can afford to let him live.”
“What are you talking about?” Fifa demanded.
“The heltharvis is planning something. It’s almost complete. I need the two of you to help me stop it.”
“Something?” the woman asked suspiciously. “That’s not very specific.”
“She means to break the Great Bargain,” Aeld said softly. Fifa glanced at him, her eyes startled, and he gestured toward me. “That’s what Freyd came to tell me before he was recaptured, and we were all brought here.”
“And you believe him?” she scoffed.
“Yes, Fifa. And you would, too, if you’d been there. He knew what breaking the Bargain would mean for the people, something he would have no way of knowing unless a letharvis told him—or he was telling the truth about what he overheard.”
She frowned and looked at me, her gaze doubtful. “Can you prove it?”
“Would you recognize a Henguki crystal if you saw one?” I asked her.
“Of course. Every letharvis learns to detect them—and how to shatter them.”
“Then all you have to do is come with me and stay silent. Don’t say anything to the others in the valskab.” I gave them both a hard look. “Unless you already have?”
“No, I haven’t said anything,” Aeld said quickly. “Neither has Fifa, at least not that I’ve heard.”
“I couldn’t when I was up there,” she replied irritably. “That circle cut us off from the others. By the time I got down here, I was too stunned by what you were telling Bregg to do much of anything.”
“Then let’s get moving. Follow me and stay silent.”
“What about Bregg? Will you let him live?” Aeld’s voice was quiet as he took a step toward me. “He’s a protector of his people, Freyd. He’s simply doing what he thinks is right.”
“And doing so is going to get his people killed,” I pointed out. I paused, considering my options. The safe choice—the smart choice—was to kill the hunter. He wouldn’t stay out for long, and when he awoke, he’d certainly alert the valskab to our presence and try to follow and stop us. That is, he would unless…
“Can either of you bind him?” I asked slowly.
“Not for very long,” Aeld said, glancing at Fifa.
“Neither can I,” she said bitterly. “Not without a connection to the valskab, that is. He’s too strong to hold for long.”
“Then I’ll have to,” I sighed. “Not here, though. Someone might find him.” I glanced upward at the hole in the ceiling and grimaced. “This isn’t going to be fun.”
It took me five minutes to haul the unconscious hunter up through the widened hole into the cell above, and he regained consciousness twice during that time, forcing me to knock him out again each time. That couldn’t be good for his brain, and I felt certain he’d have a concussion, but I didn’t really feel bad about that. It was his own fault, after all. If he’d been less of an asshole, it wouldn’t have happened. That seemed to be a universal truth, in fact: when an asshole got knocked the fuck out, it was always their own damn fault.
While I worked, I took the time to check out my notifications.
Skill Increase: Stealth
New Rank: Savant 1
Savant Ability: You can hide from magical senses using sources of magical energy. You gain the Fade Ability.
Ability: Fade
Active Ability
While active, you tend to fade into the background, reducing others’ awareness of your presence. The effectiveness and duration of this ability vary with your Skill stat and the actions you take: actions that would naturally draw attention shorten the duration and effectiveness significantly.
You have 1,851 XP that needs to be assigned.
This XP can be assigned to the following Professions:
Pugilist, Spearman, Warrior
If this XP is not assigned within 24 hours, it will be randomly assigned.
Profession: Pugilist has gained a level
New Level: 6
With each level of Pugilist, you gain:
Prowess +1/2 Levels, Celerity +1/2 Levels, 1 Skill Points
Ability Gained: Stunning Blow
Active Unarmed Ability
Your next unarmed attack has a chance to stun an opponent, rendering them semi-conscious for a few moments and hampering their defense and attack. This chance and the ability’s duration are based on your Skill stat and Unarmed Combat level and is resisted by the target’s Vigor stat.
Apparently, I’d gotten a decent amount of XP for beating Bregg. I’d considered adding it to spearman, but the fact was, I was hoping I was getting close to the end of my time in this world. I was sure that I’d be using a spear again in the future sometime, but I’d be using my bare hands a lot more. Adding the XP to pugilist jumped it up two levels and gave me a decent ability, one that basically replicated catching someone in the head with a solid blow.
“Yes, but with the ability, you don’t have to hit them in the head,” Sara laughed. “You could kick them in the chest or leg and use it if you wanted.”
“Wait, I can kick someone’s leg and knock them out?” I asked skeptically.
“Stun them, not knock them out. And yes. The ability lets me channel a bit of energy into the target to overload their central nervous system. It’ll work better if you hit them in the head or spine, but it’s not necessary.”
“Well, that does sound pretty useful,” I admitted.
“Thank you, John. I try to please.”
Once I dragged the hunter up to the cell, I laid him on his back and placed my hand on his chest. “Will this work, Sara?”
“It should, John. The ability should affect any spirit that you’re touching.”
I crossed my mental fingers—and toes for good measure—and activated Chain Spirit for the first time. Power rolled down my arm and seized Bregg’s spirit, grasping it tightly. The hunter’s spirit immediately began to struggle, fighting to tear itself from my grasp with considerable power and fury, and I fought to hold it. I gripped harder and pulled, yanking a tiny bit of the spirit free of the man’s body. It whipped about in my mental grasp, trying to free itself, but I slowly and laboriously looped and twisted it, fastening it not to the floor beneath the hunter but to the field of spiritual energy itself. At last, I released the spirit and stepped back, panting slightly. The hunter’s spirit was powerful, stronger than I’d expected, and while my fastening seemed to hold, I doubted it would last forever. That was fine; I only needed it to hold for a few hours, maybe a day at most. Hopefully, it would.
“How much will he be able to move?” I asked Sara.
“That depends on how much pain he’s willing to endure,” she replied. “Moving away from that spot will hurt, but he could probably move several steps without damaging himself.”
I judged the distance to the door; several steps would get him close to it, but he wouldn’t be able to reach it. The circle around him would keep him from communicating with anyone, as well. Hopefully, Bregg was out of commission for the rest of this little drama.
I moved back to the hole and lowered myself into it. It was time to see how the next part unfolded.